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<h1>
    FAUST
</h1>

<div class="quote">
    "We were TOO popular..."<br />

    <img alt="?" src="images/faust.png" />
</div>

<div class="members">
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<p class="albumList">
  <a href="#faust">Faust</a><br />
  <a href="#far">So Far</a><br />
  <a href="#tapes">The Faust Tapes</a><br />
  <a href="#iv">Faust IV</a><br />
</p>

<p>An Internet pal of mine said that "there's something inexplicably Germanic about naming yourself after a fist," and I wholeheartedly agree. If you didn't notice, Faust took their name not from Dr. Faust, but from the German word meaning "Fist." And that obviously explains the x-rayed fist on the cover of their first album. Now that you know that important bit of trivia, you should also know that Faust were one of the pivotal "Krautrock" bands of the European musical scene back in the 70's, along with Can, Amon D&uuml;&uuml;l II, Kraftwerk and Neu!. Each of those bands had special qualities, things that made them unique. And Faust's qualities were... Well, they were extreme. They were <em>very</em> experimental and avantgarde - and that's compared to Krautrock's standards! The thing is, experimentalism and avant-garde wasn't just their schtick, oh no siree. Faust's music really show the efforts of a group of musicians trying to create something <em>new</em> (Neu!), a different form of music. And even though they had sense of humour (at least I <em>think</em> so), they really took their job seriously - in the sense that they weren't just making noise for the heck of it.</p>

<p>As such, the "average" Faust record may sound, depending on your perception of music, either like a bunch of disconnected noise to you, or like a lump of avant-garde experimentalism with some bits of great music thrown in for good measure, or like pure genius. Well... I'm closer to the latter cathegory. I hate sounding like a pompous snob, but I <em>do</em> sense an unique, exciting scent of genius in their records (or maybe it's that lovely mix of the smell of carboard and vinyl, but I don't think it is). The trick is not listening for their records searching for "music". If you do, you'll probably have that dreaded feeling of "they could REALLY pen a catchy pop melody, but they just preferred to stick to obnoxious noise instead". It isn't just noise, you see: the noise, the contrasting sections of music crashing into each other, the melodies and the odd instrumentation (road drills? Angle grinders? Cement mixers? Like a whirlpool, it never ends!) are all essential parts of their music. And you'll <em>have</em> to get used to that if you really want to appreciate Faust. Maybe their music is a little too "intellectual" for many listeners, but hey, what's wrong with some intellectuality now and then? 'Tis good! Besides, Faust is a <em>really</em> fun listen when you're in the mood for it. Even though they were always aiming towards a solid artistic statement, they were always FUN artistic statements as well!</p>

<p>Mind you, if you never heard Faust in your life, you might be just scratching your head now, trying to read the above paragraphs again. Even though this is supposed to be an "introductory" paragraph, I'll introduce the band to you through the album reviews proper. The first one is right below! Go ahead now.</p>

<p><a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail your ideas</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="faust">Faust (1971)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Why Don't You Eat Carrots</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Why Don't You Eat Carrots ++</span></li>
  <li>Meadow Meal <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Miss Fortune <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Released in the same year of the release of Kraftwerk's debut. If you really want a contrast of "noise with a purpose" and "noise without any purpose whatsoever", listen to <strong>Faust</strong> and <strong>Kraftwerk</strong> back to back. Even though I <em>am</em> quite partial to Kraftwerk's early albums for some reason, THIS release is a prime example of a noisy, messy, scary, sparky, spotty, rusty, stretchy (errrmmm... okay, maybe not) album that <em>has something to say</em>. Whereas Kraftwerk were still experimenting with instruments and noise, Faust ALREADY had mastered their sounds, and were merely making music with it. Yes, <em>music</em>. Don't come with that talk of "this isn't music", because it is. Stop being so strict, will ya? Accept new forms of music at least once in your life!</p>

<p>You know, isn't it funny how I'm always so positive to so many different kids of albums of varying quality? I guess it's just very hard for me to truly dislike music. I have an <em>open mind</em>, ya know? I'm a prime example. And this should be enough proof for you to realise this: <strong>The Millennium Bell</strong> <em>SUCKS</em>. <em>OBJECTIVELY</em>. There's nothing good about that album at all. It's not good music, it's not good ANYTHING. It's just a lump of godawfulness. In fact, no <strong>Tubular Bell</strong> album that isn't the original is good. They <em>all suck</em>. PERIOD! Now let's all talk about Faust.</p>

<p>The band was the brainchild of German journalist Uwe Nettleback. I suppose his intentions were exactly to create a "detached" experimental band, and that's what he just did. He was the producer for the band, and they recorded this debut album on an old schoolhouse converted into a studio. Well, honestly, it would be very difficult to really describe this album. The descriptions I'd use would be way too vain: "Bursts of noise?" They're not "noise" in the hands of this band. They're <em>sounds</em>. Grating, loud, obnoxious yes, but they're "sounds". If I mentioned "different parts of music slammed against each other", I wouldn't be giving you the full picture. Who knows if these are really fragments of different songs fused into three "compositions", or if they are really complete, finished compositions on their own?</p>

<p>Truth is, I can't say anything else other than "this is brilliant". It may not be lovable, addictive and/or emotional, but it <em>is</em> brilliant, almost unquestionably so. And I have to say that <em>I</em> really like this album. Maybe not "love" it, but I certainly like it dearly. On first listen, it did skip right through me. But I <em>did</em> realise what's the real deal with this album, eventually. You see, I don't think it's the case of the band trying to be "weird". There's plenty of atonality, nonsense and noise here, but nothing sounds "tacked on". The band just weren't grounded on any "traditional" musical style, so they just did what sounded good to them - be it a groovy, "spaced-out" jam and a vocal chant, or a loud, whistling noise that crumbles into an avalanche of horrible, gruesome nouse. Nothing here is necessarily "pleasant", but it's good. I think.</p>

<p>The compositions? Well, 'Why Don't You Eat Carrots' very good start. Right from the beginning, you're faced with separate bits of music bouncing at each other, and none of them seem to be the "central" one. Atonal waltzing piano? Weird vocal chants? Or a "marching" odd-rhythm followed by ugly organs and brasses? That will leave you puzzled, but the really fun part comes when the guitar kicks in with that <em>AWESOME</em> riff. And I'm not exaggerating here when I say "<em>AWESOME</em>", not at all. It's a brilliant riff, the guitar tone is fuzzy and wild, the brass is funny, and the constant sounds of percussion and "weeeeeeeEEEEBRRRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRHHHH" make a weird, but great brew. And on top of that, there are those vocals... Just notice the way they sing those words. Almost all singers sing the vowels where the notes are, so the consonants come "in between" the notes, right? But Faust sing the consonants instead! Just listen to that if you can.</p>

<p>'Meadow Meal' is less wild, and features a strange, mantraic chant: "And the guess I get it, and the gate I get it, and the game I get it... A wonderful wooden reason... to stand in line, keep in line..." And what follows is a cool, funky groove (well, at least as groovy as Germans can be!). But always remember that those "musical" bits are always squashed inbetween all sorts of strange, unpredictable segments. It's useless for me to try and describe how the songs go, and it would be dull if I did. What's the point of listening an utterly unpredictable album when you can already predict it? And to be honest, I don't really remember how the entire song goes. I just remember that jam and that chant, and the pastoral organ chords at the end, and I remember enjoying it greatly, and I know I'll enjoy it on my next listen. And that's all that matters!</p>

<p>'Miss Fortune' occupies the entire second side with its 16 minutes. It's definitely the loosest composition in here, beginning with a really "spaced out" jam. It's almost psychedelic, but there isn't any hint of psychedelia on here whatsoever: just what sounds like an organ attached to a wah-wah pedal on berserk mode. And then... all sorts of things happen. Someone does some really goofy singing, and then a ballad forms (with the organist treating his organ REALLY badly) and comes apart again... There's even a bit there, where the singing is backed by occasional piano things. If I heard that last year, I'd have believed it was an outtake from The Residents' <strong>The Third Reich 'n' Roll</strong>. Seriously! Of course, that means either The Residents were total rip-offs, or they knew their influences very well (after all, Faust fits in well with Zappa and Beefheart), or the two bands had very similar styles. Whatever, it's <em>definitely</em> Residents-y. What is <em>not</em> Residents-y is that part near the end, where the dorky "bubbly" organ chords are slashed and cut by loud, high-pitched, horribly gruesome SQUEAKING noises. Just <em>how</em> did they do that? Smells of tape manipulation to me. But the final result is beyond frightening. Man, what SCARY sounds!</p>

<p>But after all, gruesome or scary, pastoral or exciting, the entire album is a thrill and a half. Does it stand repeated listenings? In my case, yes. In your case? Who knows? Maybe not, but you'll have to give this a listen or two, if only for curiousity. Besides, <em>I</em> didn't expect I'd like this stuff so much. We surprise ourselves some times. Why don't you surprise yourself and buy a copy of <strong>Faust</strong>, issued on transparent vinyl inside a clear, transparent sleeve? Ah, that's exactly why this album is dubbed "<strong>Clear</strong>", too. Either way, this album is a must for people interested in Krautrock in general. By the way, did you know the term "Krautrock" was initially derogatory? Tsc tsc, how silly!</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - It's brilliant! Wicked fun, yes, but still fun.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>10/15</strong></big> - Well, it's supposed to resonate in your brain, not in your heart.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Any questions? Anyone?<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>14/15</strong></big> - <em>Could</em> I give this a lower rating?<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - It all fits together well, considering the band's own wicked schemes.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/13.png" alt="13">
</p>

<p>Comments? Ideas? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Send me your comments</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="far">So Far (1972)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>No Harm</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl ++</span></li>
  <li>On The Way To Abamae <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">No Harm ++</span></li>
  <li>So Far <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Mamie Is Blue <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>I've Got My Car And My TV</li>
  <li>Picnic On A Frozen River <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Me Lack Space...</li>
  <li>... In The Spirit <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>What's this? More <em>accessible</em> this time around? More <em>musical</em>? Yeah, that's it, more "musical". Not that I'm saying their debut "wasn't music". It had music along with lots of other things, you know. But this album focuses mostly on <em>musical compositions</em>, with riffs, lyrics, and all that stuff. It isn't Faust going the "commercial" route, of course. They aren't abandoning their experimental, "wild" style, not at all. The difference between the debut and this is that, on the former, their style was unleashed, wild and free, willing to do <em>anything</em>. And here, they traced a <em>limit</em> around the style, so their music is much more concentrated and focused. This means the material here is more tangible, more palpable. It doesn't havy any more artistic merit than the debut, but it is more enjoyable - not because it's "normal", but because it's <em>good</em>. But I have to say: it's <strong>Clear</strong> that, <strong>So Far</strong>, this is their most accessible album! Ha! Ha!</p>

<p>But, accessible or not, normal or not, this album is important because it shows the band has real talent with music writing. They were <em>musicians</em>, not hacks who used noise and experimentation to mask their lack of talent. And surprisingly, there's quite a bit of variety here. Sometimes they groove, sometimes they rock, sometimes they, uh, jazz (is the word "jazz" acceptable as a verb? If not, I commited a real crime here). There are nine tracks here, but roughly speaking, each one is a different thing. To begin with, 'It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl' pretty much represents the essence of an experimental Krautrock band trying to do a rock song. It kicks off with a relentless "BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BLAM" rhythm that sounds like the percussionist is hitting his toms with a hammer. And after just a few seconds, you realise that this rhythm is going to last until the song ends, seven minutes later. So, you either get mortally irritated by it, or you get mortally amazed by it. There's only <em>one</em> chord, stomping piano notes, very fast guitar strumming (one chord only, obviously), and the occasional vocals... <em>AND</em> the sax solo at the end, of course.</p>

<p>The second big piece of the album is 'No Harm', still on side A. And when it starts, you'll probably be puzzled by the several different musical segments following each other. Well, this is <em>Faust</em>. And as if it didn't matter much, it switches into this <em>funky</em> rhythm that lasts for the rest of the track. And like I said, it's <em>groovy</em>, and aggressive as hell. It's all about the aggression here, what with the distorted guitar and the musicians <em>screaming</em> that nonsense mantra. You know, just like Yes has "I've seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I'm on my way!", Faust has "Daddy! Take the banana, tomorrow is someday!" So, pick your favourite.</p>

<p>And so the album goes, and you never know what you'll face in the next track. For example, 'On The Way To Abamae' (placed right inbetween the two epics mentioned previously) is a classical guitar song. The guitarist might not be Steve Howe, but he sure can pull off a lovely song out of his instrument... and the band can sure provide an intriguing synthesizer part! And on the other side of the record, you face the title track. After stumbling across weird, dazzling sound collages, you get this <em>groovy</em> jazzy jam. It's the same bars being repeated over and over, you see, but there are those synthesizer whooshes and shrieks in the back... You know, it's really interesting when you think about it: what kind of band would say "hey! What about making a song where we just repeat the same weird pattern over and over? It's not really <em>catchy</em>, but if we add those sound effects to it, it's going to sound <em>great</em>!" Come on, I don't think a musician can counsciously come up with an idea like that and make it <em>work</em>. And however Faust did it, they did it right.</p>

<p>I say, the band is surely showing a taste for repetition, right? And repetition isn't something we saw too often on the debut LP. <strong>Clear</strong> would make you think that the band would go the Frank Zappa way of slamming snippets of "songs" against each other, but they prove you wrong here. But Faust isn't really on the business of "mesmerising" and "hypnotising" or whatever NEU! was trying to do at this point. Their business was <em>screwing up</em> music, be it wildly metamorphic or endlessly repetitive, be it the gruesome, "industrial" sonic textures of 'Mamie Is Blue' or the JAW-DROPPINGLY AWESOME synth riff of 'Picnic On A Frozen River'. Now, really, where did that riff come from? It's amazing! It's jazzy, catchy, weird and whistleable (if you're a good whistler)!</p>

<p>There are more jokey efforts, definitely, like the sing-along 'I've Got My Car And My TV' and the jazzy album closer, as well as those nightmarish sound collages all over. But not a single section of music here sounds "tacked on" - it's all part of the package. And once you understand it, you're bound to understand why Faust is so great. Of course, I might be making all this shit up, but it <em>does</em> make me like Faust, so it's fine.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>14/10</strong></big> - Wow! It never loses its pace!<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>13/10</strong></big> - Now <em>this</em> touches my nerves in very interesting ways!<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>14/10</strong></big> - Sheesh! Originality IS Faust's second name, even though "Faust Originality" is a terrible name for a band.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>15/10</strong></big> - Gosh, this is BURSTING with great musical ideas.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>14/10</strong></big> - Firm and tight, the way I like it.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/14.png" alt="14">
</p>

<p>No <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Form</a>. So <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Form</a>.</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="tapes">The Faust Tapes (1973)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <em>It's all one big track, ya know.</em>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">The Faust Tapes ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>And this is where the history of Faust takes a <em>very</em> interesting twist. You see how this album is one single long track (though, on LP, there are two of them), but it wasn't recorded like that, you know. Fact is that this album was "compiled" using several tapes that the band had around, featuring bits of music, songs and exercises they had for their own entertainment. Not that this is a "compilation", you know. It isn't. It's a collage of several bits of Faust music. Get the idea? There's plenty of music here, just like there is experiments with noise making, and wild sonic effects. And nothing here tells you that this was arranged in a "logical" fashion, because who knows <em>who</em> did arrange these sections into an actual album.</p>

<p>The fact is, reportedly, those tapes were very cheap to get. And as a result, Richard Branson's company, Virgin, sold <strong>The Faust Tapes</strong>, a full LP, for the price of a single. Fourty nine pence! For one full, 43-minute LP! So, well, the LP sold extremely well. But mostly because of the cheapness, you know. Can you really imagine someone really buying this record without having any idea of what's inside, and only finding it out when they listen to it? Well, that's a pretty amusing image. Though I have to say this album isn't really as avant-garde and wild as their debut was. But, you know, this is nowhere as accessible and immediately-striking as <strong>So Far</strong>. And it <em>is</em> one long track, after all. And these bits of music are, many times, simply <em>thrown</em> there, with abrupt beginnings and endings bumping into each other. But, you know, I think this record is great. And part of why I like it so much is that the band din't <em>write</em> this. This album was really "put together", and not written. <strong>Faust</strong> WAS written, even though it was pretty chaotic at times. But this album wasn't. So, the chaos is, at least, more justified this time around. And, what's interesting, is that the music <em>works</em>, but it works entirely by accident! The point is not enjoying those different sections individually. Most of them <em>are</em> enjoyable, but it's like they hailed from the sky randomly and crashed into the ground. And then, you look at it, examine it, and realise it looks pretty cool!</p>

<p>But, of course, it's useless to "compile" a messy album of outtakes and home-recordings from a shitty band. It helps that Faust was a REALLY talented and creative band. So, the stuff you hear here is not just random shitty shit made of shit from a shitty band. This stuff is <em>interesting</em>. <em>And</em> it's fun. But before you have a wrong picture of the album, I'll explain it a bit to you. Don't picture it like a big chaos of noise and sounds and stuff. Because, as contradictory as it may sound, considering my review so far, some of the "pieces" of the album are songs. Maybe not full-blown, complete songs, but they "are" musical in a more-or-less conventional way. Right in the beginning of the album, there is a ballad. After the gorgeous acoustic guitar intro, there are some nonsense sung verses, and <em>then</em>, the usual Faust treatments and noise solos. I really like the piano work, here, too. It's entitled 'Flashback Caruso', if you really want to go out giving names to these bits. And later on, you're kicked into one <em>amazing</em> jam with an <em>amazing</em> little riff. It's not a linear synth solo like that of 'Picnic On A Frozen River', but it's some broken, jagged guitar chords and voices singing "nonsense" that's actually French. It goes on for seven minutes, but it never loses its focus. And there is the random speech over it, the sax solo later on, and the <em>great</em> middle break where the band goes into those King Crimson-esque chaotic "stumbling-down-a-hill" breaks that start and stop violently. But then, it's the last bit of "actual music" before you have a nice stretch of three tunes at the end of the album. 'Stretch Out Time' is awkward and funny, in a positive way. It's short, and it's just a verse and chorus played twice, but I like it. And then, there's a pleasant thing where the band plays some understated, quiet bars and stop... and play it again and stop... and then, the band starts "reciting" a poem, speaking different lines all at the same time. And finally, someone recites a long text in French called "Ch&egrave;re Chambre", over a pleasant, beautiful pillow of acoustic guitar.</p>

<p>But I guess the fun of the album is listening to it without <em>caring</em> about what comes next. Whether it's a "song" or not, or how long the noise is going to last. All that you need to know is that there are some <em>brilliant</em> passages here, and that the random stretches of noise alternate with beautiful, accidental pieces of music (like a cool, funky jam with a distorted bass plays a cool riff under a lot of gruesome noise, or a long stretch of improvisations that takes most of side two). Really, by this time, you should <em>know</em> that you can't expect "conventional", restrained pieces of music from those guys. Their music comes in raw form, in many shapes, and the best you can do is enjoying it for what it is. And knowing that, this album becomes a brilliant display of what the band <em>is</em>. You can look at the isolated, individual pieces, or you can look at the overall picture, but you <em>will</em> have a coherent piece. After all, when it comes to Faust, <em>incoherence</em> is the main form of coherence. So, who cares? Take your 43-minute track and don't complain. I enjoy it thoroughly, and I hope you do.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>13/15</strong></big> - This is <em>damn</em> fun, I tells you.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Hm, well, there's no way this can be "proverbially resonant". It isn't the point, anyway.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>14/15</strong></big> - This album is Faust at its rawest. How can it <em>possibly</em> not be original?<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Yep, very rich.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Yeah! It works! In its own, wicked ways, of course.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12">
</p>

<p><a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Send me your comments</a>! It's easy, and it's fast, it's PHP!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="iv">Faust IV (1974)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableaux</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Krautrock <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>The Sad Skinhead <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Jennifer <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Just A Second (Starts Like That!)</li>
  <li><span class="good">Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableaux ++</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Giggly Smile ++</span></li>
  <li>La&uuml;ft... Heisst Das Est La&uuml;ft Oder Est Kommt Bald... La&uuml;ft</li>
  <li>It's A Bit Of A Pain <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>The huge sales of <strong>The Faust Tapes</strong> were a good thing for the band, in one hand, since... well, they became more-or-less famous and went to record this album in The Manor, and everything. But, it was also their curse. After all, WHO would want to buy another Faust album? One was already more than enough, for most people. So, all their sudden fame backfired horribly when this album was released. And for two reasons: of course, most people were not into this whole "avantgarde" thing to try some <em>more</em> Faust, especially for the price of a full LP! And those who <em>were</em> entertained by <strong>The Faust Tapes</strong> for its incoherence and randomness must have been disappointed because <strong>Faust IV</strong> was so... coherent, and... almost conventional! What <em>is</em> that?</p>

<p>Well, the band was just doing their business, you know. And I think this album <em>is</em> an apt follow-up for their previous one, regardless of being good or not. So, it's true that it's the weakest of the four, in my opinion. But it's very good. I just think that Richard Brason was a bit out of his mind to expect Faust to become a huge, successful band on the mainstream. Really, <strong>The Faust Tapes</strong> sold so much primarily because of its price - or did he think he had just found a second Mike Oldfield, eh? So, it's a sad thing, but this album marked a very sad moment for the band. Their fifth album was rejected, and the whole project was pretty much scrapped - only to be revived years later.</p>

<p>The album? Well, like I said, it's very good! It's noticeably different from <strong>So Far</strong>, but WHAT has changed? Well, I can't really tell. It's certainly not as "friendly". It's a bit more restrained - in the sense that the usual Faust treatments are framed in "structures" and "songs", not being so much the whole <em>point</em>. There isn't too much freaking out here. Eh, I dunno. Just look: there are three songs in side A again. And the first one, 'Krautrock', is just <em>one</em> chord, <em>one</em> rhythm, <em>one</em> mood that lasts for ten minutes! So, you have synths wildly roaring that E chord on a huge mess of a "wall of sound". It's more like a firewall of sound, actually, in that it's messy, abstract, not "solid" but it burns. And it's <em>cool</em>, of course. There's a pulsing bass-like sound making the rhythm, and then a rattling tambourine enters - and I really like the way the tambouring keeps changing the pattern every thirty seconds or so. And, oddly enough, when the drums finally kick in, the song reaches its big anticlimax, after which it just fades away, slowly. I really like the title, too. It's a great way of saying "so, the music that our German mates is 'Krautrock', eh? So here's your Krautrock here, and a whole lot of it!"</p>

<p>In a way, it brings analogies to the repetitiveness and never-changingness of 'It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl'. But instead of that friendly, funny mood, it's very sarcastic and almost bitter. So, how's one supposed to face this thing? Especially after hearing <strong>The Faust Tapes</strong>? It's pretty much a shock! And I guess it was <em>supposed</em> to be shocking. But, after that track, the album goes into a "safer" path. 'The Sad Skinhead' is a two minute song, and... Well, it's kind of ska-like, and its humour isn't there for people to miss it. I'd say it's one of Faust's best "songs" ever - not that there are many, but... Oh, well, I guess this <em>is</em> their best. It's catchy! And it doesn't try to pass itself off as a "pop" tune, anyway. It's Faust trying to make a "song", but only to take the piss. The only other thing you can call a "song" here is 'It's A Bit Of A Pain', which was actually released as a single a few years before. It's a folky ballad, though you'll have to deal with Faust's intrusive noise tricks, of course, and the <em>brilliant</em> solo at the end. It sounds like a synth on a wah-wah, but it might be an encoded guitar, anyway. The wah-wah effect is awesome! It's actually more like blergh-blergh, if you understand me.</p>

<p>And if you can't imagine Faust doing a <em>ballad</em> - and I don't mean a weird, sarcastic ballad like that 'Flashback Caruso' thing from <strong>The Faust Tapes</strong> - listen to 'Jennifer'. And if you don't think the dreamy, dark atmosphere points a finger towards Brian Eno, then you're silly. As for me, the lovely guitar picking, the spacey synth, and even the singing reminds me of <strong>Before And After Science</strong>. And I love it, even though I admit that the pulsating bass sound almost made me physically sick the first time around. And, of course, the song doesn't remain the same until the end... they <em>had</em> to let the horrible, gruesome noise take over, and then break into atonal piano boogie... Yep, you read it right.</p>

<p>I only find a bit questionable those "experimental" tracks on side B. Two of them, to be precise: the "funky jam disolves into noise" 'Just A Second (Starts Like That!)', and the "ambient throwaway" 'La&uuml;ft... Heisst Das Est La&uuml;ft Oder Est Kommt Bald... La&uuml;ft'. It's not that they're bad, but... in the position they are in, they strike me as pointless. As in, 'oh, let's do some noise experimentation just like we do all the time and stick it right in!' And since the album has this <em>coherence</em>, especially when compared to their previous efforts, they seem out of place. But then, you have the <em>brilliant</em> combo of the fifth and sixth track! 'Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableaux' starts off with this <em>awesome</em>, upbeat song with a very fun vocal melody and an exciting rhythm... and here it makes me a bit confusing, because <em>that</em> song seems to be called "Giggly Smile"... and right before the song supposedly titled 'Giggly Smile', you hear the band members talking what is the title of the seventh track... So, I have reasons to believe that there was some confusion in the naming of the tracks, here. But I'm keeping the titles of the CD, anyway. But, regardless of that first "song" of the track being called "Giggly Smile" or not, it goes off into <em>another</em> great saxophone solo, and then it takes off into... 'Picnic On A Frozen River'! But this time, even faster, jazzier, dancier and even MORE awesome! <em>Now</em>, this synth riff won't leave your head anymore. Just listen to the song! It's, by far, the most intense, exciting and brilliant performance the band did in their first four LP's. And the synth riff is <em>even</em> niftier! Well, there it is. And when it suddenly stops, it gives way to this strange, but gorgeous tune driven by acoustic guitar. There isn't many ways I can describe it, but I just love that <em>weird</em> little riff. It's weird in a cute way, you know? But it's not really a "cute" song, either: it's beautiful, and mysterious, maybe even haunting. It's wonderful.</p>

<p>Sad thing the band fell apart after this. I don't know where they would be going, but I'm positive that they still had great things in stock. But those are the traps and pitfalls of life, aren't they? Who would ever guess that the <strong>Faust Tapes</strong> stunt would backfire like that. But you gotta recognise the mythical status the band got from it. Still, it's not like you should treat this band only like a "myth", a simple curiosity. As for this album, get it, at least for those two awesome tracks on side two.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Yeah, there are enough great moments here.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>10/15</strong></big> - Err... It's not exactly THAT inspirational. Only at certain moments.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - I daresay they were running out of <em>groundbreaking</em> material here... but that doesn't mean they didn't have anything left in stock.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Oh, yes. It doesn't really let me down in this aspect.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>10/15</strong></big> - It's... eh, consistent enough.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/11.png" alt="11">
</p>

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